Nail dermis indicator &amp; method of clipping nails

ABSTRACT

A nail dermis indicator for use with nails which have a dermis and an epidermis portion, the nail dermis indicator including a thin planar elongated indicator strip including a central temperature sensitive portion located centrally between a left adhesive portion and a right adhesive portion, wherein the adhesive portions have an adhesive layer on the bottom side of the indicator strip, wherein the indicator strip adapted and dimensioned to be releaseably adhesively attached around the outer circumference of a toe nail, such that upon the temperature sensitive portion of the indicator strip being heated by the toe nail, a colour change occurs indicating and delineating visually the extent of the dermis and the boundary between the dermis and the epidermis of the nail.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The application claims priority from previously filed U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/677,080, titled “Quick-see” on May 3, 2005 by Brent Crutchfield.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to method of trimming nails having a vascular portion also known as a dermis and particularly relates to a nail dermis indicator and method of clipping nails.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The toe nails of various animals and pets, including but not limited to cats and dogs are trimmed just as human nails are trimmed. In the case of many animals, the toe nail includes a dermis which is a vascular portion of the nail beneath the epidermis. The epidermis is the only portion of an animals toe nail that should be trimmed away since impinging into the dermis region of the toe nail of an animal can cause bleeding and pain. It is not unusual for owners to trim their pets nails too short causing bleeding and pain when the cut extends into the dermis region of the toe nail. There is an artery and nerve within the dermis. In the case of very dark toe nails it is very difficult to see where the dermis ends and where the epidermis begins. Many owners therefore are hesitant to trim their dogs and/or other animal's nails because of the risk of bleeding and pain that may occur when the dermis is breached.

There is a need for a method of visualizing or showing the person trimming toe nails of animals where the dermis ends and the epidermis begins so that an accurate cutting of toe nails can be carried out.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention is a nail dermis indicator for use with nails which have a dermis and an epidermis portion, the nail dermis indicator including an indicator strip for releasably attaching around the outer circumference of a toe nail, such that the indicator strip in contact with the toe nail, the indicator strip including a means for visually indicating the dermis portion of the toe nail.

Preferably wherein the visual indicating means including a heat sensitive indicator attached to the indicator strip providing a visual indicator of the warmer dermis area of the toe nail when the indicator strip heated by the dermis of the toe nail.

Preferably wherein the heat sensitive indicator including thermo chromic ink coated onto the indicator strip, wherein the thermo chromic ink selected to produce a color indication of the warmer dermis area of the nail when the thermo chromic ink heated by the dermis portion of the nail.

Preferably wherein the indicator strip including a thin planar elongated indicator strip including a central temperature sensitive portion coated with thermo chromic ink, wherein the central temperature sensitive portion located between a left adhesive portion and a right adhesive portion, the left and right adhesive portions for releasably adhesively attaching the indicator strip to the nail.

A nail dermis indicator for use with nails which have a dermis and an epidermis portion, the nail dermis indicator including a thin planar elongated indicator strip including a central temperature sensitive portion located centrally between a left adhesive portion and a right adhesive portion, wherein the adhesive portions have an adhesive layer on the bottom side of the indicator strip, wherein the indicator strip adapted and dimensioned to be releaseably adhesively attached around the outer circumference of a toe nail, such that upon the temperature sensitive portion of the indicator strip being heated by the toe nail, a colour change occurs indicating and delineating visually the extent of the dermis and the boundary between the dermis and the epidermis of the nail.

A method of clipping nails having a dermis and an epidermis portion the method including the following steps, applying an indicator strip around the outer circumference of a toe nail wherein the indicator strip including a means for visually indicating the dermis portion of the toe nail, clipping the toe nail just short of the dermis portion of the nail as indicated by the indicator strip, removing the indicator strip from the toe nail.

Preferably wherein the visual indicating means including a heat sensitive indicator attached to the indicator strip providing a visual indicator of the warmer dermis area of the toe nail when the indicator strip heated by the dermis of the toe nail.

Preferably wherein the heat sensitive indicator including thermo chromic ink coated onto the indicator strip, wherein the thermo chromic ink selected to produce a color indication of the warmer dermis area of the nail when the thermo chromic ink heated by the dermis portion of the nail.

Preferably wherein the indicator strip including a thin planar elongated indicator strip including a central temperature sensitive portion coated with thermo chromic ink, wherein the central temperature sensitive portion located between a left adhesive portion and a right adhesive portion, the left and right adhesive portions for releasably adhesively attaching the indicator strip to the nail.

A method of clipping nails having a dermis and an epidermis portion, the method including the steps of applying an indicator strip as claimed in Claim 1, 2 and 3 to a toe nail of an animal having a dermis and an epidermis portion, waiting for the indicator strip to heat up on order to provide a colour indication of the dermis region of the nail, thereby delineating the boundary between the dermis and the epidermis of the nail, clipping the nail short of the coloured indication thereby leaving the dermis portion of the nail undisturbed, removing the remainder of the indicator strip from the toe nail of the animal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a dog showing its paws.

FIG. 2 is a partial front elevational view of a paw showing the individual toes and toe nails.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a sheet having indicator strips mounted thereon.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an indicator strip.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of an indicator strip.

FIG. 6 is a partial top plan view of a paw showing an indictor strip being positioned over a toe nail.

FIG. 7 is a partial top plan view of a paw showing an indicator strip attached to a toe nail ready for trimming.

FIG. 8 is a partial cut away plan view of a paw showing a discarded nail portion trimmed away.

FIG. 9 is a partial enlarged view of the toe shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a partial enlarged view of the toe shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view of the toe shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of a toe showing a toe nail having an indicator strip mounted thereon.

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of a paw being held in a hand showing one toe nail being revealed with an indicator strip mounted thereon.

FIG. 14 is a partial side perspective view of a toe together with a trimmed toe nail showing the sheered end and an indicator strip mounted thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention a nail dermis indicator is best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. FIG. 3 shows a multiple of indicator strips 120 mounted onto a sheet 11 8. By peeling off an indicator strip 120 off of sheet 118 an adhesive layer 119 is exposed on the bottom side 121 of indictor strip 120.

Indicator strip 120 c an be generally divided into three portions, namely a centrally located temperature sensitive portion 122 and adhesive portions on either side of temperature sensitive portion 122 shown in FIG. 4 as right adhesive portion 124 and left adhesive portion 126. Temperature sensitive portion 122 includes a thermo chromic ink 127 which is temperature sensitive. Thermo chromic inks can be selected to be indicative over a wide variety of pre selected temperatures. In this case the thermo chromic ink will change colour when the temperature of the thermo chromic ink portion 127 is elevated in temperature. The thermo chromic ink can be pre selected to give various different colour indication and in practice the inventor has found that the thermo chromic ink coating which in fact loses its colour when the temperature rises appears to work best in this application.

Referring now to FIG. 1 which shows a dog 110 displaying its paws 112. FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view of a paw 112 showing individual toes 114 and toe nail 116. FIG. 6 shows one particular toe having an indicator strip 120 positioned over a toe nail 116, such that the temperature sensitive portion 122 of indicator strip 120 is positioned upwardly in the view of the user.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 1 0 show a toe nail with the indicator strip 120 mounted around the outer circumference of a toe nail, such that the temperature sensitive portion 122 of indicator strip 120 is positioned upwardly in view of the user and wherein the indicator strip 120 has come up to temperature giving an colour indication 128 which provides a dermis indication 130, such that one can delineate the dermis indication 130 from the epidermis 132. FIG. 8 and FIG. 11 show a toe nail 116 which is being clipped by a pair of scissors 150 and furthermore shows the discarded nail portion 140, the sheered end 152 of toe nail 116 and the final trimmed toe nail 154. FIG. 12 shows a partial side view of a toe 114 showing a toe nail 116 projecting forwardly there from. A indictor strip 120 has been mounted around the outer diameter of toe nail 116, such that the temperature sensitive portion 122 of indicator strip 120 is positioned upwardly in view of the user and the adhesive portion namely, left adhesive portion 126 and right adhesive portion 124 are to the side of each nail when viewed form the top. The indicator strip 120 has come up to temperature such that there is a dermis indication 130 which is a colour indication 128 or a colour change in the thermo chromic ink contained in the temperature sensitive portion 122 of indicator strip 120. In this manner the user is able to visualize the boundary between the epidermis 132 and the dermis indication 130.

FIG. 13 is a schematic partial view of a paw 112 being held in hand 111 to expose a particular toe nail 116 attached to toe 114. FIG. 13 shows the indicator strip 120 having been applied to the particular toe nail.

FIG. 14 shows a trimmed toe nail 154 showing the sheered end 152 of the toe nail 116 and the trimmed toe nail portion 154, the indicator strip 120, the colour indication 128.

A method of clipping nails is also disclosed in this specification. The method of trimming nails includes the following steps, applying an indicator strip to a toe nail having a dermis and an epidermis portion, wherein the indicator strip includes thermo chromic ink which comes into contact with the toe nail in proximity of the dermis, allowing the indicator strip to heat up in order to provide a colour indication of the dermis portion of the toe nail, clipping the toe nail just short of the colour indication thereby ensuring that only the epidermis is clipped away and the dermis is left undisturbed, removing the remains of the indicator strip from the toe nail. 

1. A nail dermis indicator for use with nails which have a dermis and an epidermis portion, the nail dermis indicator including an indicator strip for releasably attaching around the outer circumference of a toe nail, such that the indicator strip in contact with the toe nail, the indicator strip including a means for visually indicating the dermis portion of the toe nail.
 2. The nail dermis indicator claimed in claim 1 wherein the visual indicating means including a heat sensitive indicator attached to the indicator strip providing a visual indicator of the warmer dermis area of the toe nail when the indicator strip heated by the dermis of the toe nail.
 3. The nail dermis indicator claimed in claim 2 wherein the heat sensitive indicator including thermo chromic ink coated onto the indicator strip, wherein the thermo chromic ink selected to produce a color indication of the warmer dermis area of the nail when the thermo chromic ink heated by the dermis portion of the nail.
 4. The nail dermis indicator claimed in claim 3 wherein the indicator strip including a thin planar elongated indicator strip including a central temperature sensitive portion coated with thermo chromic ink, wherein the central temperature sensitive portion located between a left adhesive portion and a right adhesive portion, the left and right adhesive portions for releasably adhesively attaching the indicator strip to the nail.
 5. A nail dermis indicator for use with nails which have a dermis and an epidermis portion, the nail dermis indicator including a thin planar elongated indicator strip including a central temperature sensitive portion located centrally between a left adhesive portion and a right adhesive portion, wherein the adhesive portions have an adhesive layer on the bottom side of the indicator strip, wherein the indicator strip adapted and dimensioned to be releaseably adhesively attached around the outer circumference of a toe nail, such that upon the temperature sensitive portion of the indicator strip being heated by the toe nail, a colour change occurs indicating and delineating visually the extent of the dermis and the boundary between the dermis and the epidermis of the nail.
 6. A method of clipping nails having a dermis and an epidermis portion the method including the following steps, applying an indicator strip around the outer circumference of a toe nail wherein the indicator strip including a means for visually indicating the dermis portion of the toe nail, clipping the toe nail just short of the dermis portion of the nail as indicated by the indicator strip, removing the indicator strip from the toe nail.
 7. The method of clipping nails claimed in claim 6 wherein the visual indicating means including a heat sensitive indicator attached to the indicator strip providing a visual indicator of the warmer dermis area of the toe nail when the indicator strip heated by the dermis of the toe nail.
 8. The method of clipping nails claimed in claim 7 wherein the heat sensitive indicator including thermo chromic ink coated onto the indicator strip, wherein the thermo chromic ink selected to produce a color indication of the warmer dermis area of the nail when the thermo chromic ink heated by the dermis portion of the nail.
 9. The method of clipping nails claimed in claim 8 wherein the indicator strip including a thin planar elongated indicator strip including a central temperature sensitive portion coated with thermo chromic ink, wherein the central temperature sensitive portion located between a left adhesive portion and a right adhesive portion, the left and right adhesive portions for releasably adhesively attaching the indicator strip to the nail.
 10. A method of clipping nails having a dermis and an epidermis portion, the method including the steps of applying an indicator strip as claimed in claim 1, 2 and 3 to a toe nail of an animal having a dermis and an epidermis portion, waiting for the indicator strip to heat up in order to provide a colour indication of the dermis region of the nail, thereby delineating the boundary between the dermis and the epidermis of the nail, clipping the nail short of the coloured indication thereby leaving the dermis portion of the nail undisturbed, removing the remainder of the indicator strip from the toe nail of the animal. 